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Are there are folks who either have gotten their CHL, or know that they could if they wanted to, but decided that they weren't going to carry, and why they decided not to.

There is no reason for paying all that money to not do what your paying to do. I don't have a car to not drive it. In my chl class there was a guy renewing that said he doesn't carry unless he is going to the bad parts of town which makes no sense in my mind cause bad people are everywhere.

Gameover wrote:There is no reason for paying all that money to not do what your paying to do. I don't have a car to not drive it. In my chl class there was a guy renewing that said he doesn't carry unless he is going to the bad parts of town which makes no sense in my mind cause bad people are everywhere.

yea on few occasions i have left without carrying then i think what the heck am i doing -- would of felt real stupid if something would of happened and not been carrying at the time

I have a couple of friends with CHLs who don't carry regularly. They each got the CHL so that they could carry when they wanted to without a problem. But they don't carry all the time because of the additional weight of the gun. Can't say I agree with their reasoning, but it is what it is.

Unfortunately, I know plenty of individuals who have the CHL and don't really use it.

Two that are very close to me don't bother to carry. One of whom has only carried in public ONCE in the nearly 3 years she's been licensed. I know this because she called me to tell me about her 'OH MY' experience after she realized she'd gone through the metal detectors at Penney's and didn't set them off...

Of course, she was referring to the anti-theft tag readers at the mall...and she had forgotten she had put the pistol in her purse when she dropped the car off at the car wash.



So, yes, there are plenty who have a CHL and don't actually carry a gun. :(

I know several who have their CHL and do not carry at all. What agitates me is that most have made comments to others that are very anti-gun. One person said, “People should not carry because if they (those who have their CHL) get into an argument, they might pull their gun and shoot someone.”

mescobar_rpls wrote:I know several who have their CHL and do not carry at all. What agitates me is that most have made comments to others that are very anti-gun. One person said, “People should not carry because if they (those who have their CHL) get into an argument, they might pull their gun and shoot someone.”

One reason I'm very glad I carry is that it helps keep me OUT of situations like that in the first place. Of course, I try not to get into serious arguments anyway, I'm no good at it

My brother and I both went to our CHL class at the same time, both got 100 on the written and 249 on the qualification... I sent in my paperwork, he didn't. So he doesn't have his

I don't know what his thought process is. He might get it, might not. I'm done pushing him, it's his decision...

I have a relative who's got his CHL but doesn't regularly carry. I think his primary motivation was when purchasing guns. While he's got a completely clean record, he frequently get's an initial short delay before the NCIS approval comes back. If the FFL calls it in, it's no problem as they transfer the FFL to an agent who immediately gives the proceed. (That's happened to me once, too.) If not, he sometimes has to wait. With his CHL, a gun store knows he's already a good guy and can skip the redundant background check.

Having the CHL also makes it easier when stopping by to show me his new acquisition. We live near a school, within a school zone. The MPA doesn't protect him from the federal Gun Free Zone while in the car (although I've heard that's generally enforced, and tacked on, only when another crime is being committed) and he's carrying to and from a location that is not his premises/in his control (ie from his car to my residence). The CHL removes any legal issues from the equation.

If you live in a city, how many school zones do you drive through going back and forth from your house to the range?

Gameover wrote:There is no reason for paying all that money to not do what your paying to do. I don't have a car to not drive it. In my chl class there was a guy renewing that said he doesn't carry unless he is going to the bad parts of town which makes no sense in my mind cause bad people are everywhere.

Yes, I believe there is. I know someone who scraped together the money for the class and license and borrowed a gun for the test but is having financial difficulties right now and cannot buy a gun of their own yet. I think it is better to do what you can, when you can. I think they'll be able to get their own gun soon. It isn't the best way but it is a way. It is still better (IMHO) that doing nothing.

I have 3 good friends that have thier CHL that kinda tutored me when I was thinking about getting mine. I was very surprised to find out that they rarely carry. I don't really understand the theory...I assured them that when my plastic arrives, I will taking my Glock/Kahr just like I do my wallet and car keys. Just cannot imagine how they would feel if they came time they needed thier CCW and left it at home?

ldavidson wrote:Are there are folks who either have gotten their CHL, or know that they could if they wanted to, but decided that they weren't going to carry, and why they decided not to.

I don't have any data to back it up, but I think that most people with a CHL don't carry regularly. IMO, many people get a CHL "just in case" they want to carry if they go on a trip, evacuate for a hurricane, or visit areas that are unfamiliar or considered "bad areas".

with WildBill... I would bet less than 50% of CHL's carry regularly.

77346 wrote: with WildBill... I would bet less than 50% of CHL's carry regularly.

Maybe so...I ain't never seen nobody carry 'cept me and the Mrs.
Hmmm, ain't that what this CC stuff is all about?

Most of the friends I made in my CHL class all carry 24/7. However, I can understand the emotional feeling that some people believe that "If I am not carrying, nothing will happen to me today." They, wrongly, believe the very act of carrying might be the reason BGs might assault/rob them. Of course, this is not rational thinking.

I am a true believer. After three incidents with BGs, I don't need a fortune teller to tell me I had better be prepared for the future. I now carry 24/7 to be prepared for when something else does happen. From my experience, this is a highly rational decision.

December, 2010: Gym locker robbed
November, 2011: Accosted outside a nice restaurant and money demanded
January, 2012: CHL in hand, 24/7 carry
December, 2012: Attempted but failed carjacking at 4:15 p.m. outside a nice restaurant.

Something above tells me that my situational awareness needs to be on high alert from Thanksgiving through Christmas each year.

WildBill wrote:I don't have any data to back it up, but I think that most people with a CHL don't carry regularly. IMO, many people get a CHL "just in case" they want to carry if they go on a trip, evacuate for a hurricane, or visit areas that are unfamiliar or considered "bad areas".

Honestly, this was the attitude I had when starting to look into getting my CHL. However, once I started doing my homework and preparing (tried to do as much research as possible before the course), I was convinced this was naïveté. Most would be surprised at the violent crime in what they believe are sleepy neighborhoods; I was about my own area in Austin. Now, I feel naked without my gun, no matter where I am.